Lost pet scams: how to tell a real finder from a fake one
Fake finders ask for money or codes and avoid sending a photo. Here are the patterns to watch for and the checks that catch them.
The short answer
A real finder can show you your pet. A scammer cannot, so they avoid sending a photo, make up a reason for urgency and ask for money, a gift card or a verification code before you see the animal. The Better Business Bureau and the FBI have both warned about this. Your defense is simple: keep one identifying detail off your poster and posts, ask every caller for a current photo and that detail, and never pay or share a code before your pet is physically with you. Real finders will not be offended. They have your pet and can prove it in thirty seconds.
How the scam works
Posting a lost pet publicly means your phone number and your fear are visible to strangers. The BBB says con artists comb social posts for people who have lost pets. Typically you get a call or text from someone claiming to have your pet. They make excuses about why they cannot send a photo, then ask for money or a gift card to return the animal. The BBB’s warning is blunt: the scammer does not have your pet. Some claim your pet is hurt and needs an emergency vet bill paid, or that they have driven far away and need money to ship the animal. Fairfax County, Virginia warns not to trust anyone who claims to have your pet but requires money to ship or transport them.
The verification code trick
This one is about your accounts rather than your pet. A caller says they want to make sure you are the real owner, so they will send you a code and need you to read it back. The FBI has warned about requests for sensitive information such as a Google verification code. That code is often for setting up an account in your name or getting into one of yours. No finder needs one. If anyone asks, end the conversation, and if you have already shared a code, go straight to the security settings of the account in question.
Fake search services
The BBB also warns about people offering drone searches or search parties for an upfront fee, often through a peer-to-peer payment app. Some lost pet help is real and paid, and some volunteers do it for free. Before you pay anyone, search the business with the BBB and BBB Scam Tracker, ask your local shelter or rescue whether they know the person, and do not pay through a payment app to someone you met in a comment thread.
Five checks for every caller
First, ask for a photo of your pet taken now, with something from today in the frame, such as a newspaper or a handwritten note with the date. Second, ask about the detail you held back: a scar, a collar tag, a behavior. Do not offer a multiple choice answer; let them describe it. Third, ask for a callback number, because scammers can spoof numbers. Fourth, ask where they found the animal and when, then see if it fits. Fifth, offer to meet them at a vet clinic or shelter right away. A real finder will usually agree, and a scammer will usually have a reason why not.
What to do if someone seems real
Stay calm and move quickly. Agree on a public place, go with someone else and ask the vet or shelter to scan your pet if there is any doubt. Be careful with AI-generated images too: news reports now describe scammers using them as proof. Ask for a second photo from a different angle, or a short video with your pet’s name spoken aloud. If the animal is actually there, payment can wait until you have seen it.
Protect yourself before the calls start
Set things up so scams are less likely. Use the cross streets on your poster, never your home address. Leave at least one unique marking out of every public description. Consider a separate number just for sightings, such as a free internet phone number, if you are worried about your personal one being exposed. Tell the rest of your family the rule before calls come in: nobody sends money or codes to anyone, for any reason. Scammers rely on catching the most worried person in the house.
If you were scammed
Stop contacting the person, keep the messages and contact your bank or card issuer straight away. If you bought a gift card, call the company that issued it. Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to BBB Scam Tracker, and if you used the internet to pay or talk with them, consider the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. If you believe your pet was actually stolen, the BBB suggests calling your local police. Then keep going with your search, because the scam has nothing to do with whether your pet can still be found.
Sources
BBB Scam Alert: bbb.org/article/scams/8612-lost-pet-watch-out-for-this-text-message-scam. FBI El Paso, Tech Tuesday: fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/elpaso/news/fbi-tech-tuesday-beware-of-lost-pet-scams. Fairfax County Animal Shelter: fairfaxcounty.gov/animalshelter/node/167.